3. Joy As Resistance: The Impact of Desmond’s

On this episode

About this episode

The 80s saw a real transformation of Black representation on TV - instead of the assimilationist TV of the 70s that poked fun at ethnic minorities, Black stories were taking centre stage on the small screen and making a huge impact. It was on his way to a pitch meeting that Trix Worrell had the idea for Desmond’s - the show they authentically represented a slice of Black British life in one of the few spaces where people could authentically be themselves: the Barber Shop, In this episode we hear from Trix himself, the creator of Desmonds, on how he pitched the idea, working with Norman Beaton, how the show travelled to America and became a mainstream hit with 5 million viewers and 71…